ESSENDON'S external review has called for stronger unity within the club's football department, as the Bombers also pledge to restore themselves as a leader in the Indigenous community and appoint their inaugural First Nations board member.
The review will also recommend putting members, players and communities back at the centre of Essendon and resetting the club's purpose and strategy for on-field success, with a focus on leadership and better fitness for its players.
The external review was initiated by president Dave Barham after he took the reins of the club at the end of its season, with the Bombers since appointing Brad Scott as senior coach to replace Ben Rutten.
The review engaged former Western Bulldogs senior coach and Bombers and Cats assistant Brendan McCartney and four-time Hawthorn premiership player Jordan Lewis and was facilitated by Ernst & Young, with more than 80 players, coaches and administration staff interviewed and another 130 people from across the club surveyed on their views. Data pertaining to Essendon's football operations, administration, membership, governance, culture and leadership was also collected.
Already the Bombers have committed to filling two new positions – a general manager of performance and a head of development – with Barham promising the football program "will look different in 2023", with the club's VFL coach to be a full-time position and held by an Essendon coach.
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The Bombers have boosted their development coaching line-up from 2.5 coaches last season to 5.5 in 2023.
"This is a significant investment for the club. We will also revamp our leadership program in 2023 to focus on growing the leadership capabilities of our players now, and for the long term," Barham said.
"The review also recommended the need to drive higher training standards and to build a better fitness base for our players leading into the season. We have accepted this, and our new AFL head coach Brad Scott has committed to a demanding pre-season designed at improving the consistency of our training standards across the entire playing group.
"The review is also clear in its recommendation of the need for stronger alignment of the core functions within the football department.
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"The areas of coaching, physical performance, player development plus list management and recruitment have lacked unity and a shared vision that is embraced by all. Creating a strong and unified football department is a key priority for general manager of football Josh Mahoney and Brad Scott during this off-season period."
The Bombers thanked previous president Paul Brasher and said the report was not "being critical and judgemental of the past" but focused on making recommendations for the future of the club.
Part of this will see the "long overdue" decision to appoint a First Nations Board director, with Barham saying the club would announce further board changes in coming weeks.
"The club is committed to restoring our leadership position in the Indigenous community and nurturing Indigenous talent – both players and staff. We all know about the rich history Essendon has in identifying, attracting, and developing Indigenous talent and we need to build on this into the future," he said.
"We need to do more to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and expertise at all levels of the club, including at board level. To that end, we will soon be appointing the club's inaugural First Nations Board director. This is an important step for Essendon and, quite frankly, long overdue.
"This director will lead the board's nationally focused Indigenous sub-committee to provide leadership on cultural safety and oversee our new Indigenous development program. We are looking forward to making this announcement in the coming weeks."
In his letter to members, Barham also said the Bombers would have a "whole-of-club commitment" to increase connection with members, including the return of the Essendon family day, more access to players and coaches during the week and improved amenities at the NEC Hangar.
